Author Interview: Brandon Jenkins

Brandon Jenkins holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State University and currently resides in Cedar Rapids, IA with his American bulldog and pit bull.

What is your favorite type of fiction and who are your favorite authors?

If I had to pick one genre, I would say general fiction or literary fiction. My favorite author is John Steinbeck. Ever since I read Of Mice and Men in junior high he has been my favorite. When I want to dive into something more complex and get my mind blown, I reach for Michael Crichton or Ken Follett.

Are you an outliner or discovery writer? Or somewhere in between?

I definitely lean toward being a discovery writer. For instance, in Cecil’s Chair all I had in mind was a family who gave a ghost his own chair. Maybe the ghost would kind of be like their pet or maybe the ghost would merely get upset if someone was in his chair. But after I began writing I was certain the ghost would be hostile and that the chair would not be some harmless piece of furniture.

What tips do you have for finding time to write?

I wake up early. If I have to be at work at 9 am, I wake up at 7. If I have to work at 8 am, I wake up at 6. I feel accomplished if I can get a thousand words done by the time I leave the house. If I have the day off, I need to write two-thousand.

What do you think the publishing industry will look like twenty-five years from now?

I’m scared to think about it. We all saw what happened with the music industry and I’d hate to think of physical books becoming obsolete the same way CDs, cassettes and records have. There are tools available to writers now where you can self-publish but will it be easy to market yourself and gain an audience? I guess we’re still finding out.

How do you deal with rejections?

Much better than I used to. Everybody needs a good dozen rejections or so to get the ball rolling. Whenever I get them, I figure I’m just getting them out of the way and the acceptances will be coming in.

What book(s) are you reading right now?

I’m finishing up The Shining by Stephen King so I can finally watch the movie. I heard they don’t have much to do with one another but I always like to the read book first if possible. It’s the OCD part of my brain, I guess.

Is there anything you’d like to plug? Feel free to share a link.

I created a blog of some stories at http://storiesfromneptune.blogspot.com. They’re stories that I never intend to publish anywhere else but I think they have a special quality to them. They’re quirky and abstract and I think they’re deserving of an audience.